Family of Springfield teen shot and killed early Friday morning speaks out

Police have yet to release his name, but family of the Springfield teen shot and killed earlier Friday morning is speaking out, remembering their loved one, Caleb Daniels-Worrell, and asking friends to honor his memory by finishing school and not spreading violence.

Caleb's family spoke to CBS3 outside their grandmother's home Friday night. They say Caleb loved his family and friends, always trying to keep them safe.

That is exactly what he was doing early Friday morning, according to Caleb's cousin, DeJuan Brown, who says Caleb walked two girls he was at a party with to a convenience store.

"And they crossed paths with some kids, I guess, and words were exchanged and somebody just yelled something and started shooting," Brown said.

Police say Caleb was shot outside the Racing Mart convenience store on the corner of Lyndale Street and Sumner Avenue at 1:47 a.m.

Brown works for the Springfield Trauma Response Network and went to Baystate Medical Center last night when he heard a man was shot. He had no idea it was his cousin.

Caleb was 18 years old, going to be a senior at Putnam Vocational Technical Academy and, according to his uncle, a natural football star.

"He was always like a man amongst boys," Brown said. "He was just, he just had a God-given gift to kind of play football."

Brown says Caleb was looking forward to another year of football. He had received a number of letters from colleges interested in having him play football for them.

"We always talked about just the talent that he had," Brown said. "I gave him my forearm pads and stuff like that."

Brown says he and his family are sticking together to get through their loss. He asks Caleb's friends to do the same, to stay away from violence and to honor Caleb the right way.